Traugott julius muller



(fir Model.) I

' T. J. MULLER.

ZITHER ACCORDION.

No. 523.902. I Patented July 31,- 1894.

W: 72 escscs Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRAUGOTT JULIUS MULLER, OF DRESDEN, GERMANY.

ZITH ER-AC CORDION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 523,902, dated July 31, 1894.

Application filedMarch 23, 1894. Serial No. 504,858- (No model.) Patented in Germany April19, 1893 in Switzerland April 24, 1893,1T0. 6,575; in Austria-Hungary July 28, 1893 No. 22,434 and No- 38,073, and in England August 28, 1893.110

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TRAUGOTT JULIUS MiiL- LER, a subject of the King of Saxony, residing at Dresden, Saxony, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Zither-Accordions, (for which I have ob-' tained patents in Germany, dated April 19, 1893, not yet numbered; in Great Britain, dated August 28, 1893, No. 16,212; in Austria- Hungary, No. 22,434 and No. 38,073, dated July 28, 1893, and in Switzerland, No. 6,575, dated April 24,1893,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of stringed musical instruments wherein darnpers are made to engage the strings to silence certain strings, so that the open strings being played upon shall produce harmonious chords, and particularly to the means for effecting the proper positioning of the dampers, all as will be clearly set forth in the following specification and pointed out specifically in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the damper bar case, the cover or finger board being broken away to show the interior. Fig. 3 is atop plan View of the instrument. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the finger board showing one of the slots.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The dampers a are each provided on their upper surfaces with a pin 12 which passes through aslot s in the finger-board a. At their ends these pins are provided with buttons or keys (1 for applying the points of the fingers. There are further in the slots 8 of the fingerboard 0 three or more enlargements e of a size such as enables them to receive the conical ends of the buttons d. On moving and depressing the dampers by means of their buttons, the latter are necessarily brought over one of these enlargements e in the slots of the finger-board c inasmuch as they cannot enter the narrow portion of the slots 8. Hence it re-'= sults that the damper can only be depressed at the definitely fixed points which correspond to the particular change of chord. This arrangement as, is shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, may be combined with a further arrangement, designed for a similar purpose. At the ends of the dampers wedgeshaped or conical projections g with their points directed downward are fixed, which when the dampers are depressed, engage in corresponding grooves i in a plate 71. secured on the straining board, whereby the damper is drawn into the desired position.

I claim 1. In a zither accordion, the combination with the movable dampers provided with a pin on their upper surfaces said pins having an enlarged upper portion, of the finger board provided with slots having enlargements through which the pins on the damper bars pass, whereby the pins will be guided and the bars properly positioned; substantially as described.

2. In a zither accordion the combination with a longitudinally adjustable damper and finger-board of a slot in the finger-board, enlargements in the slot pin connected with the damper and passing through the slot and conical ended button on the pin substantially as set forth.

3. In a zither accordion the combination of a longitudinally adjustable damper, finger=board, slot in the finger board, enlargements in the slot, pin connected with the damper and passing through the slot conical ended button on the pin, wedge-shaped or conical projection on the damper, a plate, and a groove in the plate for receiving the projection substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

TRAUGOTT JULIUS MULLER.

Witnesses:

RUD. SCHMIDT, HERNANDO DE SOTO. 

